To Whom it May Concern, Eleven Facts of the Yemen Crisis
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SH.A.
To whom it May concern, for those who interested, here are Eleven facts of the crisis in Yemen in its fourth year of war against every thing in this country.
1. The humanitarian situation in Yemen is still the worst in the world Now in its fourth year of war, more than 22 million people—or three-quarters of the population—need humanitarian aid and protection, making Yemen the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Photo: Children watch a sandstorm in Huth, 80 km north of Sana’a. Credit, Giles Clarke for UNOCHA.
2. Some 8.4 million people in Yemen don’t know where they’ll get their next meal.Last year, humanitarians scaled up dramatically to provide emergency food assistance to more than 7 million people per month. But this year we need to do even more. Ensuring families have the food they need to survive is the top priority for humanitarians.Photo: Men scavenge through the rubbish in Al Huydaydah. Credit, Giles Clarke for UNOCHA.
3. Every ten minutes, a child under five in Yemen dies of preventable causes. Nearly 3 million children under 5 and pregnant or lactating women are acutely malnourished. This includes 400,000 children who are severely malnourished and nine times likelier to die than their healthier peers.Photo: 22-year-old Nora, mother of five, with her malnourished son at Al Thawra Hospital in Al Hudaydah. Credit, Giles Clarke for UNOCHA.
4. Civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence.Civilians face indiscriminate attacks, bombing, snipers, unexploded ordnance, cross-fire, kidnapping, rape and arbitrary detention, and other dangers. In February alone, at least 53 children were killed and 92 maimed in 12 governorates. All parties must respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law at all times. Photo: children play in the ruins of Aal Okab school in Saada City. Credit, Giles Clarke for UNOCHA.
5. Women and children are subject to widespread protection violations.Children are being forcibly recruited by the parties to the conflict; are being married off early and forced to work, to help their families survive. About one quarter of school-aged children are out of school, and 2,500 schools have been damaged or are not able to run.Photo: Students at Aal Okab school stand in the ruins their former classroom. Credit, Giles Clarke for UNOCHA.
6. Some 3 million people have been displaced.Internally displaced people are more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. This 15-year-old orphan lives with her seven siblings in a settlement for internally displaced people in Khamir, 100 km north of Sana’a. Photo credit, Giles Clarke for UNOCHA.
7. Ending the war is the only way to resolve the humanitarian crisis.All warring parties and their backers must work towards a negotiated political settlement. Photo: Construction workers prepare cement in front of damaged buildings in Saada Old Town. Credit, Giles Clarke for UNOCHA.
8. Half of all health facilities are damaged or unable to function. Those that remain face severe shortages of staff and equipment. Photo: A medical worker measures patients in the village of An-Nassiri. Credit, Giles Clarke for UNOCHA.
9. Millions of Yemenis do not have access to safe drinking water and cholera could resurge.In the last year, more than 1 million people suffered from cholera or watery diarrhoea. Water and sanitation systems struggle to keep pace. As the rainy season approaches, there is a high risk of another cholera epidemic breaking out.Photo: Children carry water in Khamir IDP settlement. Credit, Giles Clarke for UNOCHA.
10. Humanitarian response faces a nearly $2 billion funding gap.To alleviate suffering on a massive scale, the Yemen humanitarian response plan calls for $2.96 billion to assist 13 million people. Donors, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have already been generous, but a nearly $2 billion funding gap remains.Photo: UNHCR warehouse in Sana’a with shelter, blankets and kitchen supplies for the displaced. Credit, Giles Clarke for UNOCHA.
11. Keeping the ports and other access channels open is crucial to deliver aid.Ports, which were blockaded through part of 2017, are now open to humanitarian and some commercial shipments. All ports must remain open both to humanitarian cargo and commercial cargo to ensure local markets have food and other essential goods. Even before the crisis, Yemen imported about 90 per cent of its staple food and nearly all fuel and medicine. Photo: Giles Clarke for UNOCHA.